Kapitel 5: Armor And Skating

Astaros filled up a bear water skin before returning to the treeline. A large staff sat upon his shoulders a sack on either side with several pouches, bags and straps covering his chest. A massive glistening stone floated behind him as he traveled. He really needed to get rid of the lump of metal he was hanging onto. At first it was fine because it was small, but now it had become a massive hunk and required loads of concentration to keep floating behind him. He also couldn't run with it. In short he needed to turn it into something or abandon it.

He placed down the sacks and the metal lump slammed into the ground, shaking the trees and scaring the birds.

He then sat facing it on the river bank thinking of exactly what he could do with it. Thus he thought back to his recent battles during the few months he had spent here. In every fight he couldn't act to his fullest extent because he lacked defense.

A shield?

No.

He had more than required and to be honest It would only help defend him in one direction and he had far more metal than a shield requires, same with weapons. Armor. In an instant he decided. He didn't need damage at the moment as magic was a forte. He needed defense.

He put out his hands and then thrust his palms forward flames billowing out as they slowly concentrated and became something similar to a jets thrust. He was now easily able to raise his flame's temperature to the point where it turned a glorious white. The metal bubbled and melted with the molten ore now floating up into the air. After an hour a boiling orange and black ball floated before him. He began to separate the char and ash from the ball before shaping the orange glowing metal.

Rustling shook the bushes behind and he turned as he frowned. He knew what was coming. For he had faced this opponent before. A small snakelike slimy red slug slithered out from the bushes. Then another and another. They began to collectively open their mouths and shriek while rows of rotating teeth spun in their mouths. These abominations were fire eaters, at least he called them that. They were attracted to the flames he created with his internal energy and would attempt to consume him along with it. He raised his hand in their direction and clenched it into a fist. 9 balls of light swirled and came into being around his wrist. Then he opened his hand.

Bolts of light fired out from the energy balls as they slowly reduced in size. Shrill shrieks burst through the forest as the beasts were eviscerated one by one. The screams of the dead searing into the helms creation process.

In the end he had used nearly everything in the armor's creation layering and flattening till it was as strong as could be. He had used the lizard skin to make the under-suit and used the remaining bear skin as a long kama that reached down to his ankles and was decorated at the ends with the fur of the small squirrel-like creature. The armor itself was a silvery grey and was molded in multiple pieces making it modular. The helmet consisted of a visor with 5 vertical slits that attached to the actual helmet. Near the rear of the helm two large silver horns protrude which are actually made from the lizard spikes and metal.

'Damage core status requirements unlocked' {Damage Core}

'Initiating class change and feature installation' {Damage Core}

He grasped his chest as the little red sphere began to spin and heat up.

"WHY DOES THIS THING BOOT UP LIKE IT WAS MADE IN THE SEVENTIES" {Astaros}

The uncaring sky however did not flinch at the words directed to it. Only watching him stew in his pain and misery. It burned and hurt but Astaros held. To any normal person they're mind would have shattered, broken and then they would have died. However Astaros had become mostly numb to things like pain and most painful situations became a simple nuisance.

The heat eventually died down and he was told two things.

'Four new functions acquired: Inventory, Concealment, Armor Deployment and Imbuement. The damage core has also assigned you a new class: Magic Combatant, the more vesatile upgrade of the Magic Swordsman Class.' {Damage Core}

'End Report' {Damage Core}

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Astaros POV

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'I see my pain may not have been in vain' {Astaros}

The ability to store things was useful and the other three were also quite interesting although imbuement was a slight mystery. So I tried asking the damage core.

"Damage Core Define Imbuement" {Astaros}

The little red sphere shook vibrated and then to my suprise answered.

'Imbuement is the ability to imbue objects with Mana and then allow it to do a related specified action' {Damage Core}

"I see" {Astaros}

I had learned two different things. Number one the energy I had been manipulating was mana and two I could program objects although it seems I will have to test the effects. So next I went on to ask about Inventory, Concealment, Armor Deployment and my class change

In short the Inventory was a separate space within the damage core that could store items. This space however could not store creatures and sentient beings due to the chance that they may break the core.

Concealment was the ability to make myself invisible using the dark and light element. It could be balanced or fully one or the other. It all depended on light levels and the thing you're hiding from. I could have learned it naturally but it was half spell and thus much harder to learn.

Armor deployment was well received as it allowed me to put on and take off my defensive wear with minimal effort. It was basically an extension of the inventory system.

Then just like any other sane person I started trying to get the damage core to define everything however it would only define damage core related skills, staying quiet for everything else. I tried to ask it about the being who brought me here but it refused to answer.

This wasn't the best but it was more than enough for me to live forever with. I began absorbing the bags and pouches and stuff into my core, a red flash accompanying each. I then tested armor deployment several times to see if it functioned as stated and as for concealment I simply put it on and then looked for my reflection in one of the nearby pools of water. You could see the reflection slightly if I didn't balance the dark element properly and the light element straight up didn't work if you were in a deep shadow. Thus you needed to constantly balance it and also hard to use when attacking or defending

I decided to imbue my knife and finally solidify the damn base. Small amounts of dust swirl and then solidified around the connection point.

It. No longer. WOBBLED. A damn dream came true today.

With all these new abilities I gained a new form of transportation. Skating. How you ask? I jump onto the river and freeze below my feet with the dark element and then use the fire element ot rocket myself forward. Best part? I can conceal all of it. The fire melts the ice behind me. There's nearly no way to tell I am moving around besides the occasional splash and the slight whine from the flames.

Today had to have been one of the best days I've had since I discovered I could use magic.